1. My first encounter with Byredo
I had of course heard of this brand, but I didn’t really know it, apart from Bal d’Afrique and Blanche. This article was a chance to discover it in greater depth. I was very drawn to the design of the bottles, and I had seen boutiques and counters spring up everywhere, with diversification products. I wanted to find out more.
2. The history of the house
This Swedish brand was founded in Stockholm in 2006 by the charismatic creator Ben Gorham. Trained in fine arts and rather discreet, of Indian descent on his mother’s side and Canadian on his father’s, he grew up between Toronto, New York and Stockholm.
After a decisive meeting with the Swedish-born perfumer Pierre Wulff, Ben Gorham turned away from painting, to which he had devoted himself, and set out to create a perfume brand, with no specific training in the field. With his innate sense of aesthetics, his intuition and his personality, he surrounded himself with talented perfumers, Jérôme Epinette and Olivia Giacobetti: Byredo was born.
The name comes from the English word “redolence”, which refers to a smell, a fragrance that evokes something (“redolent of” means “reminiscent of, smelling of”).
In 2013, Ben Gorham sold a majority stake to Manzanita Capital, which also owns Diptyque. This partnership made it possible to grow the brand internationally, notably with accessories, leather goods and, more recently, makeup.
In 2022, a major coup: the Puig group took a majority stake in Byredo, on the basis of a valuation of around 1 billion euros. Manzanita remains a shareholder. Byredo is therefore no longer really a niche, under-the-radar brand.
Ben Gorham, who remained artistic director throughout these years, stepped down in June 2025 to pursue other horizons.
3. The DNA of the house
Byredo stands out for its personal approach: each fragrance tells a story or evokes a memory from the life of its founder.
The first three major successes are Gypsy Water in 2008, followed by Bal d’Afrique and Blanche in 2009. Many others have followed: the range is rich, with eaux de parfum, absolus, extraits and home fragrances. Notable collaborations, such as Elevator Music with Virgil Abloh or 1996 with the photographer duo Inez and Vinoodh, have helped make Byredo a major player in contemporary luxury.
As for design, the bottles are instantly recognisable. I love the packaging: everything is attractive and well thought out.
4. My favourites
Bal d’Afrique (2009)
The brand’s best-seller, it comes as an eau de parfum and as a perfume absolu.
It is a soft, woody fragrance built around vetiver, just gourmand enough and very pleasant to wear. A fragrance to share, like all those in the Byredo range.
It is inspired by the fascination of 1920s Paris with African culture. Its creator is Jérôme Epinette.
Longevity: about 5 hours. The perfume absolu lasts a little longer, and it is more gourmand, with a praline note.
Notes: bergamot, lemon, neroli, marigold, buchu, violet, jasmine, vetiver, cedar, black amber, musk.
Bibliothèque (2017)
This is a woody fragrance. Given its name, you might expect something very dark, the atmosphere of a library with leather armchairs and dusty-smelling books. But not at all: it is lightly woody, very soft, and a little gourmand thanks to plum and peach.
It exists as an eau de parfum, created by Jérôme Epinette, and as a home fragrance, created by Olivia Giacobetti.
It is a skin scent with moderate projection. It remains a fragrance to share, very pleasant to wear, which melts into the skin.
Longevity: 4 to 5 hours.
Notes: plum, peach, peony, violet, leather, patchouli, vanilla, musk.
Blanche (2009)
One of the brand’s best-sellers. It is a very “clean” fragrance that immediately evokes an impeccable white shirt. It is pared-down, luminous, aldehydic (the smell of a hot iron, slightly metallic), fresh and musky. It is just a touch too “laundry-like” for me, but very pleasant.
I love musky, clean fragrances. Here we are in the world of a mass-market scent that I like very much (yes, they exist!), which for me is not in the least pejorative.
It exists as an eau de parfum and as a perfume absolu, the latter naturally having better longevity.
Longevity: 3 to 4 hours.
Notes: aldehydes, white rose, violet, sandalwood, musk.
Mixed Emotions (2021)
This fragrance surprised me, because it is more opinionated. I don’t like its top note at all, which is very fruity and astringent. It comes from blackcurrant, a natural fruity note that is very difficult to work with in perfumery and can give effects of sweat or “cat pee”.
But on the skin, if you have the patience to wait a little, a very interesting note of smoked black tea appears, joined by a tobacco note. The whole is quite interesting and charismatic.
A creation by Jérôme Epinette.
Longevity: 4 to 5 hours.
Notes: blackcurrant, mate, black tea, birch, violet.
5. Other creations I enjoyed
I enjoyed these two fragrances, without them being favourites.
Gypsy Water (2008)
One of Byredo’s most popular fragrances, a tribute to Romani culture. The opening is fresh and citrusy. The heart becomes more interesting with pine needles and iris, and the base is woody. It is a fragrance that combines freshness, delicacy and mystery: I understand why it is so popular.
It improves as it evolves, and its heart is rather mysterious and intriguing. It remains easy to wear and to share.
Longevity: for greater staying power, opt for the perfume absolu, which lasts about 6 hours.
Notes: bergamot, lemon, pepper, juniper berries, incense, pine needles, iris, sandalwood, vanilla, amber.
Mojave Ghost (2014)
It is also among the house’s best-selling fragrances. It is fresh, musky, very pleasant, and easy to wear and to share. It is not one of my favourites, because it is a little too discreet for my taste.
It opens with ambrette, a natural musky note derived from a variety of hibiscus. Inspired by the Ghost Flower, a flower that grows in the Mojave Desert, it is a mysterious and enveloping fragrance.
Notes: ambrette, sapodilla, violet, magnolia, sandalwood, ambergris, cedar.
6. Summary
| Fragrance | Year | Family | Longevity | Who it is for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bal d’Afrique | 2009 | Vetiver woody, lightly gourmand | About 5 h | Lovers of soft woody scents |
| Bibliothèque | 2017 | Fruity woody (plum, peach) | 4 to 5 h | Those who like skin scents |
| Blanche | 2009 | Aldehydic musky | 3 to 4 h | Lovers of clean scents |
| Mixed Emotions | 2021 | Smoked black tea, blackcurrant | 4 to 5 h | Those who want character |
| Gypsy Water | 2008 | Fresh woody (pine, iris) | About 6 h as an absolu | A first approach to the brand |
| Mojave Ghost | 2014 | Fresh musky (ambrette) | Discreet | Fans of discretion |
7. Verdict: who is Byredo for?
Byredo is a very well-conceived brand from a marketing standpoint, and its bottles are superb and distinctive. I approached it without preconceptions, and some fairly signature fragrances caught my attention: they are the ones I describe above.
There is plenty of choice, as the range is rich. If you are looking for elegant, well-made, fairly multifaceted fragrances, you will find something to love, bearing in mind that many of them are clean and subtle.
It is an appealing brand, but the performance is not always there, with the exception of the absolus and extraits, which are much more powerful. It is popular and enjoys worldwide success. Personally, given the prices, I expected more daring, more distinctive fragrances. Expect to pay around €170 for a 50 ml eau de parfum and €245 for 100 ml.
If you are discovering the brand, start with Gypsy Water or Bibliothèque, the easiest to wear. If you want more character, try Mixed Emotions. And for longevity, choose the perfume absolus. Byredo is for those who love clean, unisex skin scents, rather than for those who want sillage.
